A Town Named “Elbow”

Last weekend my Irishman and I wanted to go on a little adventure. I borrowed the company car and we set of for the town called Loket, whose direct translation in English is “elbow”. Loket is situated in the “elbow” of a river. While English speakers would call this a bend, it is an elbow in Czech. How had we decided to visit a town named “elbow”? It happened when I rode the bus home instead of taking the company car.

One Wednesday late afternoon, early evening I was sitting impatiently on the bus and cursing myself for not taking the company car home when I looked up and there it was- a fairy tale castle. The sun was shinning. The sky was blue with just the right number of picturesque fluffy, white clouds. It was magnificent. I had not realized there was such a gem so close to where I was living and working! After seeing the gleaming ramparts, my imagination ran off with me. I had to see more! I had to storm the castle gates, fight the dragon from the walls and save the princess from the tower…um I mean, I wanted to take a tour of the castle.

Needless to say, I got home in a very excited state and started immediately to jabber about going to visit Loket and how great it was to have taken the bus. What a lucky chance that I had taken the bus instead of the car! I had discovered a great place to visit! Then I was crushed. My Irishman told me he had taken the same route on the bus earlier. He had already seen Loket. His employer had even told him about it! I had not found new treasures to be plundered!

Anyway, the Sunday after, I took the company car and we wove through the forest to Loket. It was another beautiful day, but rain threatened the horizon. The pictures do not do the village justice. Enjoy!